Crochet Bag w/ Removable Shoulder Strap {Free Pattern}

First of all, I want to announce the Grand Opening of my Etsy Shop: Erin's Yarn Creations. I've been busy, busy, busy using up some of my yarn supply and crocheting hats for the last week; mostly hats for baby boys and girls. Hopefully, I'll have a little bit of luck and sell a few hats, (I'm even willing to do custom orders) and if not I guess I'll end up with a storage of baby hats I can use for gifts. Maybe, if I have any luck I'll expand from hats and some other baby goods. So, check out my store and spread the word.

Moving on to my post for today....The huge diaper bag I lug around with me is awkward, and with all the baby stuff in it I can't fit much more than my wallet, keys and check book. So sometimes I feel like I could use another bag. Now, we all know I like to crochet and sometimes I like to take the smaller items I'm working on with me and the supplies either don't fit in my bag or they get caught on the Velcro. Either way this is no good and makes me wish I had another bag.  There are also times when I stop by the Farmers market and need a place to keep all of those delicious fruits and veggies. The diaper bag just doesn't cut it so I decided to crochet a bag. It's not a big bag. It's got some little handles and the shoulder strap buttons on and off. The mesh texture makes it kind of stretch so you can fit more in it that you think you can. Perfect for my needs. You could easily make this bag a different size by adding extra single crochet increase rows or changing hook size. I however wouldn't recommend using a hook much larger than a K.

Crochet Round Bag with Removable Shoulder Strap

Supplies: Worsted weight yarn, size K hook. 2 buttons around 3/4 inch.

Instructions: work in rounds

Round 1 Chain 3. In second chain from hook work 6 sc .
Round 2 2 sc in each sc 12 stitches
Round 3 [1 sc in next stitch, 2 sc in next stitch] around, 18 stitches.
Round 4 [1 sc in next 2 stitches, 2 sc in next stitch] around, 24 stitches
Round 5 [1 sc in next 3 stitches, 2 sc in next stitch] around, 30 stitches
Round 6 [1 sc in next 4 stitches, 2 sc in next stitch] around, 36 stitches. (To make your bag larger I would recommend adding extra increase rounds here)Join last sc to stitch at beginning of round with slip stitch

Round 7 Chain 4(counts as a dc ch1) [Dc in next stitch, ch1] in each sc. Join to 3rd chain of chain 4 with slip stitch.

Rounds 8-15 Chain 4(counts as a dc ch1) [Dc in next stitch, ch1] in each DC, leaving each ch1space unworked. Join to 3rd chain of chain 4 with slip stitch.(you can repeat this rounds as many times as you like to increase the size of your bag.)

Round 16 Chain 3(counds as dc) Dc in each dc around. Join to chain with slip stitch (notice no ch1s in this round,) 36 stitches

Round 17-19 Sc in each stitch. join to first sc with slip stitch. Ch1.

Round 20 *Sc in next 9 stitches, ch 8, skip next 9 stitches, Repeat from * once.  Join to first single crochet with slip stitch. Ch1

Round 21 *Sc in next 3 stitches, ch3, skip next 3 stitches, sc in next 3 stitches, 9sc in ch8 space. Repeat from * once. Join to first sc with slip stitch.Ch1

Round 22 Sc in next 3 stitches, 3sc in chain3 space. sc in next 15 sc, 3sc in ch3 space, sc in next 12 sc. Join to first sc with slip stitch. Fasten off. 

Shoulder Strap: Chain 4

Row 1. SC in second chain from hook and next 2 chs. 3 stitches Ch 1, turn.

Row 2. Sc in each sc. Ch1 turn.

Row 3 (button hole) Sc in first sc, ch 1, skip next sc, sc in next sc. Ch 1 turn.

Row 4 Sc in next sc, sc in ch1 space, sc in next sc. Ch 1 Turn

Row 5 Sc in each sc. Ch1 turn.

Rows 6 - ? Repeat row 5 until shoulder strap is desired length

Row 7 (button hole) Sc in first sc, ch 1, skip next sc, sc in next sc. Ch 1 turn.

Row 8 Sc in next sc, sc in ch1 space, sc in next sc. Ch 1 Turn

Row 9 Sc in each sc. Fasten off.

Sew on buttons 7 rows from each end. (To people like me who do things with out thinking, THINK and make sure you sew both buttons on the same side of the strap)

Insert strap ends through the chain 3 space at the top of bag and button ends of strap.

Marshmallow Cream Fruit Dip

My grandma always made this stuff growing up and it is so delicious I could eat it by the spoonful. However, it is fruit dip so it is even more delicious with fruit, I prefer strawberries or pineapple. The best part is that it is easy to make and requires 2 ingredients. Yep, just 2.

Marshmallow Cream Fruit Dip

• 8 oz softened cream cheese (I usually use neufchatel cheese, for the less fat factor)
• 1 small jar of marshmallow cream

Combine ingredients with electric beater. Keep chilled. Enjoy!

Re-purposed T-Shirt Shrug

FYI- Taking pictures in a mirror does
not get you a very good quality photo.

I don't wear tank tops. Why not? I'm a Mormon.  However, I sometimes get a little sad and just a little mad when I'm walking through a store and see a large variety of very cute tanks and I always think to myself why can't they make stuff with sleeves that cute? This summer I caved and bought a few tanks and figured I could find a cardigan or something else with sleeves that I could wear over the top of them.  It took me forever to find something to modest up my tanks. Then, while browsing Pinterest  a couple days ago I came across a pin to this link for a shrug re-purposed from a T-shirt. It's really cute and really, really easy and only requires an old T-shirt you never wear, or I guess a cheap t-shirt from a thrift store or yard sale. This made me happy, because that means I'll never have trouble finding a shrug and it opens it up to finding, well making shrugs in a larger assortment of colors, because it's a lot easier to find colored t-shirts than shrugs, or maybe I just don't know where to shop. I just had to try this little tutorial out, so I dug through my closet and found an old t-shirt and got to work. Now, when you click on this link. You'll notice she has you cut straight done the middle of the front of the t-shirt and cut out the collar. Then, she has you sew a casing along the cut edge, run a ribbon through it and then, ta da, you put it on and fasten it with the ribbon.  Well, I decided I didn't want my shrug fastened with a ribbon, I'd rather have a button. So, I ran a cheep ribbon through a casing, cinched it to where I wanted it and then stitched down the ends of the casing to have the ribbon hold the cinching in place, then cut off the extra ribbon.  The button hole was also a pain in the rear, but that was only because I had to fight with my sewing machine, which resulted in a horribly misplaced button hole that probably took me an hour to achieve. I do like how it looks with the button and would try it with a button again, hopefully with more cooperation from my sewing machine.

French Toast Casserole

 I got this recipe from my sister-in-law. It's delicious and easy. It's also great for any day of the week because you spend just a few minutes to prepare it the night before and let it soak over night. All you have to do is pop it in the oven to bake the next day. Or, if you don't make it the night before, I have found that you can use sandwich bread instead of french bread and just let it soak while the oven preheats and that works too. The recipe is enough for a 9x13 pan, so don't be confused because my picture clearly shows a smaller pan. I cut the recipe in 2/3 because I don't need a whole batch for just me and the hubby.

French Toast Casserole

• 1 Stick Butter
• 1cup Brown sugar
• ½ t cinnamon
• 6 eggs
• 1 ½ cup milk
• ½ t salt
• 1 loaf French bread

Melt butter and place in 9 x 13 pan. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle in the butter. Tear up the bread, then add to pan. Mix eggs, milk and salt. Drizzle egg mixture over the bread, let sit over night. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. 

Italian Pasta Salad

A few months ago I posted this as a guest post on Polka Dots On Parade. It's a great little blog with an awesome little link up party on Wednesdays.Check it out. Anyway,  I figure it's time to share this recipe here. Don't get use to seeing this many pictures. Seriously, I mean it!

You are going to need some rainbow rotini, Italian dressing, Parmesan cheese, sliced olives (I used the kind with the red jalapenos mixed in) and some pepperoni, preferably the kind that is chopped in little cubes or a chunk that you can chop up yourself (you can be like my mom and cheat and buy the slices and chop them in fourths, but just be warned that the sliced tend to clump together.) You could easily add cheese cubes to this recipe and that would taste delicious too.

Don't hate me because some of the
ingredients in my photo are half used.

First you are going to boil your pasta. Then, of course, you are going to strain it.

Next dump that past in a big bowl and toss it with a good 1/2 a cup or so  of Italian dressing. Use enough to coat the noodles but don't drown them.

 Next, dump in your chopped up pepperoni, drained olive slices and about 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Mix it all together.

Put it all in the fridge and let it chill for an hour or two before serving. Sprinkle with a little more Parmesan cheese and enjoy.  (It makes a great side dish at a potluck or a BBQ.)